Swimming pool skimmer with demountable weir

ABSTRACT

A WEIR OF FLEXIBLE, ELASTIC SHEET MATERIAL HAVING, ALONG ONE MARGIN THEREOF AN INTEGRAL OPEN SLEEVE WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GAP NARROWER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A PIVOT PIN ON WHICH THE WEIR IS FULCRUMED, IS ATTACTED TO THE PIN BY PRESSING THE MARGINS OF THE GAP AGAINST THE PIN TO SPRING OPEN THE SLEEVE AND RECEIVE THE PIN THEREWITHIN. THE PIN IS STIFF BUT FLEXIBLE TUBE WHICH IS MOUNTED BETWEEN OPPOSED WALLS OF A SKIMMER THROAT BY FLEXING IT TO SPRING ITS ENDS INTO SOCKETS IN SUCH WALLS.   D R A W I N G

Fh 29 1973 P. R. BLUM 3,716,873

SWIMMING POOL SKIMMER WITH DEMOUNTABLE WEIR Filed Dec. 5. 1971 INVENTOR.

' 72402. P. Baum -A TwR/VG Y- United States Patent M 3,716,873 SWIMMING POOL SKIMMER WITH DEMOUNTABLE WEIR Paul R. Blum, Van Nuys, Califl, assiguor to Marine Swimming Pool Equipment Co., North Hollywood, Cai

Filed Dec. 3, 1971, Ser. No. 204,428 Int. Cl. E04h 3/16, 3/18 US. Cl. 4172.17 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of a floating weir, hinged to the bottom of a skimmer inlet throat in a swimming pool skimming apparatus, to regulate the inflow of water from a pool into a skimmer housing so as to provide a shallow, rapid flow such as to draw floating debris into the skimmer throat, has been common practice for many years. King Pat. No. 2,701,235 discloses an early form of such hinged floating Weir. More recent developments in the art are disclosed in Leslie Pat. No. 2,809,752, Cavenagh No. 2,844,255 and Sowers No. 3,316,934. The latter patent discloses a hinge structure embodying a spring-loaded, expandable hinge pin housed in a sleeve on one margin of a weir and having ends that are retractable for insertion into sockets in a skimmer throat. The hinge pin is composed of a number of parts and is more complicated than a simple onepiece pin would be.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a hinge pin of maximum simplicity in that it consists of a length of stiff but flexible tubing which can be sprung into the sockets of a skimmer throat simply by flexing it, while it is detached from the weir. The weir is attached later by means of an integral slotted sleeve of flexible, elastic material which can be sprung over the hinge pin while the latter is in place in the weir throat, the slot in the sleeve being narrower than the diameter of the pin so that the lips of the slot must be sprung apart in order for the pin to enter the sleeve, and the elasticity of the sleeve causing it to close around the pin to provide a secure attachment to the pin in which the pin is caged in the sleeve with its ends projecting from the respective ends of the sleeve. The projecting ends then serve as trunnions for engagement in the sockets of the skimmer throat, to pivotally attach the skimmer to the throat.

The general object of the invention is to provide a weir hinge construction of maximum simplicity coupled with easy installation in and removal from a skimmer throat. Specific objects are to attain the features described above.

These and other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications and appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a skimmer installation, embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the hinge on an enlarged scale, taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

3,716,873 Patented Feb. 20, 1973 DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a weir A mounted on a hinge B which in turn is mounted in a throat C of a skimmer having a body D, the hinge B being located adjacent the bottom of the throat C and extending transversely thereof. Water from the surface of a swimming pool enters the throat C and flows over the buoyant free margin on weir A in a shallow stream E which is of accelerating speed such as to draw floating debris into the skimmer housing D where it is captured in conventional filtering apparatus forming no part of the present invention and hence not shown.

Weir A comprises a buoyant head or float 10 along a free margin thereof, a flat web 11 of stiff sheet material projecting from float 10, and a sleeve 12 formed as an integral curl on the margin of web 11 remote from float 10. Sleeve 12 is in the form of a slotted tube, having a longitudinal slot 13 extending its full length and communicating with open ends of the sleeve, so that a hinge pin 20 can be received in the sleeve to provide hinge B. Slot 13 has a width less than the outer diameter of pin 20 so that the pin will be retained captive in the sleeve. Slot 13 is defined between lips 14 and 15, the former being the edge extremity of the curled sheet material and the latter consisting of a bend integrally joining the sleeve 12 to the web 11.

Hinge B comprises the pin 20, received in the sleeve 12, and a pair of laterally opposed sockets 21 (FIG. 2) in the side walls 22 of skimmer throat C, which can be provided with a pair of bosses 23 in which the sockets are formed. The ends of pin 20 project beyond the ends of sleeve 12 to provide trunnions 24 which are received in the sockets 21. The sleeve 12 may engage the pin 20 snugly with both ends projecting to the same extent from the respective ends of the sleeve, or may be loose on the pin so as to rotate on the pin. The pin 20 is long enough so that neither end can escape from its socket 21, i.e. it is longer than the spacing between the mouths of the sockets.

Hinge B is located adjacent the bottom wall 25 of throat C, and the weir is normally supported in a position inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the skimmer body D in response to the combined effects of buoyancy of float 10 and the deflecting effect of the stream of water E flowing over the weir, the same as in the operation of all weirs of the hinged, floating type.

In the installation of a weir, the hinge pin 20 is first installed by flexing it sufliciently to spring its ends into the sockets 21, its flexibility being sufficient for this purpose. Upon being released, it will assume a straight condition, its elasticity being such that it will not be permanently bent by the operation of springing it into the sockets. It has adequate stiffness to retain a straight condition under normal operating conditions, resisting any tendency to bend under the weight of the water into the inlet of throat C pressing against the weir. After the pin 20 is installed in the throat C, the weir is attached to it by placing it in a substantially horizontal position somewhat as indicated in phantom in FIG. 1, with the float 10 on its underside and the gap 13 facing the pin 20. The lips 14, 15 are then brought into contact with the pin 20 and pressure is applied radially to the sleeve 12, forcing the sleeve against the pin. This will caus the lips 14, 15 to spread so as to pass over the pin diameter, allowing the pin to be received in the sleeve. The sleeve will contract around the pin sufliciently to retain the pin captive in the sleeve. Hinging action of the weir will be effected by rotation of the sleeve around the pin or rotation of the trunnions 24 in their sockets 21.

3 4 I claim: 3. A skimmer as defined in claim 2, wherein said pin 1. In a pool skimmer, in combination: and sleeve are of hard plastic material. a housing including an inlet throat having laterally 4. A skimmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said gap opposed sockets; extends full length of the sleeve and communicates with a pivot pin having a length greater than the spacing 5 open ends thereof.

between the mouths of said sockets, said pin being flexible sufiiciently to spring its ends into the sockets References Cited when bowed, and of elasticity such as to return to UNITED STATES PATENTS straight condition with sufficient rigidity to function effectively as a Weir p g 10 2858 x32; 3 38:12? and a Weir of flexible elastic sheet material including 3316934 5/1967 S y 578 along one margin thereof an integral open sleeve hav- 3552567 1/1971 g 210:169

ing a longitudinally extending gap narrower than the 3620372 11/1971 210 169 diameter of said pin but sufiiciently wide to be sprung 3:668:713 6/1972 Baker '2 17 open to receive said pin by pressure applied radially 15 to said sleeve and pressing the margins of said gap HENRY ARTTS, Primary Examiner against the pin. 2. A skimmer as defined in claim 1, wherein said pin US. Cl. X.-R. is of tubular form. 210-169 

